Submarine salvage apparatus



Dec. 6, 1932. J. PALMIERI SUBMARINE SALVAGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l JOHN PflLM/ERI INVENTOR I "'1' a ATTORNEY Dec. 6, 1932. J. PALMlERl SUBMARINE SALVAGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Johw P151 MIERI INVENTOR Patented Dec. 6, 1932 JOHN PALMIEEI, for Niiw YORK, N. Y.

SUBMARIN E SALVAGE APPARATUS Application filed January 20, 1932. Serial 110. 587,804.

This invention relates to salvage apparatus for submarines and other submerged vessels. I

It is well known that submarines and other vessels sink and it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for quickly and efficiently raising the submerged submarine or other vessel to the surface.

7 Other objects will be apparent from a reading of the following specification.

The invention contemplates in its main feature the provision of a plurality of gas bags through a corresponding number of portholes in the vessel and filling the gas bags with gas after they have been projected through the portholes to the outside of the vessel, whereupon the buoyancy of the filled bags is efiective to raise the vessel.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the application, with the understanding, however, that the improvement is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therefrom asdo 0 not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side View, partly broken away,

of a submarine equipped with the mechanism of my invention.

. Fig. 2 is an end View of the submarine shown in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a front view of mechanism for opening and closing a gate which covers a: porthole and for moving a gas bag in and outof the porthole, this view showing auxiliary mechanism hereinafter'described.

and partly in section, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3. this view showing also a fragment of a filled gas bag outside of the submarine. a Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of F ig.4, and showing in dotted lines a swung Fig. 4 is a side view, partly broken away.

back position of a casing, and showing also in dotted lines the retracted position of a gas bag support. a

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed section taken on line 6 of Fig. 5, showing means for relea sably attaching a gas bag to its support; and

Fig. 7 is a section-taken on line7 7 of Fig. 4, showing a detail of the gate-moving mechanism. p

Referring to the drawings for a more de tailed description thereof, the numeral 10 indicates a submarine equipped with a propeller 12. The submarine is provided at its sides with a plurality of portholes 14 having inner annular plates 15 and outer annular plates 16 therearound. The annular plates are secured to the submarine by means of bolts 18.

The mechanism provided adjacent each porthole is of similar construction and so the construction of only one unit need be described. From Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen that an annular flange 20 projects inwardly from the porthole and that back of the flange there is provided a casing 22 pivotally mount ed at 23 so that it may be swung back from confronting relationship with the flange 20. s The casing 22 carries a depending auxiliary casing 25 clearly shown in Fig. 4, this casing carrying mechanism for openingand closing a gate 27 adapted to open and close the porthole 14. The. gate-movingmechanism is op-- erated by a wheel 29 mountedon a shaft 30 which is carried in an auxiliary frame 31. A.- beveled gear 33 on the inner end of the shaft 30 meshes with the beveled gear 34 mounted on a shaft 35 which is at right angles to the shaft 30 and which is carried into the casing 25. The interior of the casing 25 is threaded as shown at 37 and meshes with a worm 38 disposed at the upper end of the shaft 35, the

, lower end of theshaft 35 being supported by the frame 31. The upper end of the shaft 35 is secured to the gate 27 so that when the P wheel 29 is turned in onedi-rectionthe gate slides to close the port and when turned in theother direction the gate slides to open the port. Means for preventing the wheel 29 from turning and therefore to hold the gate 27 in open or closed position is shown in Fig.

tains a deflated or collapsed gasbag not shown deflated in the drawings but shown inflated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and-indicated by the numeral 45. When it is desired to project the gas bag through the porthole the casing 22 is positioned as shown in Fig. 4 and as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the casing being locked to the flange 20 by .means of a slot and bayonet connection 47. The gate 27 "is then opened by means of the 'mechanism hereinbefore described and the gas bag 45 is then projected through the porthole by means which will now be described. The mechanism for projecting the gas bag out of the porthole, which is also adapted to hold the bag inwardly to pull the bag back into the casing comprises a wheel on the outer end of a shaft 51 which is'journaled in a frame 52 secured to the casing 22.. The shaft 51 carries a gear 54 clearly shown in Fig. 4 and this gear meshes with a gear 55 mounted on a shaft 56 carried in the frame 52. Turning of the wheel 50 is effective to turn the shaft 56 which is threaded and which threadedly engages casing 22 near its outer end and which carries'at its other end a gas bag sup porting member 58. The bag-supporting member 58 is shown in fragmentary detail in Fig. 6 and is adapted to releasably secure to itself the gas bag 45. The bag 45is releasably secured to its support 58 by means of a plu rality of circularly arranged spaced springpressed pins 60 which are adapted to be pressed inwardly to release the bag from its support.

An-aperture 62 opens from the inner end,

of the bag and communicates with a tube 64 adapted to convey gas to the bag from a gas tank 65 to which the tube is connected, the

gas tank being shown in Fig. 2. Apressure gauge 67 shown in Fig. 4 is provided in the gas line to indicate the pressure of the gas in the gas bag. When the bag is deflated it may be pulled back into the casing by the mechanism described and the gate may be closed by the mechanism also described.

I have thus shown in salvaging mechanism for submarines and other vessels having a plurality of ports, slidable gates for the ports, means for opening and closing the gates, casings back of the ports adjacent thereto, in-' flatable bags and means for projecting the bags from the casings to the outside of the submarine and for pulling the bags back into the casings after the'bags are deflated.

\Vhat is claimed as new is:' v 1. A salvage apparatus comprislng a cas= ing having a closed end and an opposite open end, a fixture for swingingly connecting the casing to a vessel hull having a porthole whereby the said casing may swing to confronting relation to or away from the porthole, an annular'flange projected inwardly from the porthole, means for latching the casing with the flange when confronting the porthole and effecting a sealed joint therebe tween, .a gate movable into thecasing to close said porthole thereto, a normally collapsed in- 1 flatable buoyant element within the casing,

means for moving said buoyant element from the casing through the porthole,and means for conveying fluid to the element for inflate I when moved through the port:

ing the same hole.- 7. e. V in .2. A salvage apparatus comprising alicasing having a closed end and an oppositeopen end, a fixture for swingingly connecting the casing to a vessel hull having. a porthole whereby the said casing may swing to confronting relation to or away from the porthole, an annular. flange projected inwardly from the porthole, means for latching the cas ing With the flange when confronting the- A porthole and effecting a sealed jointtherebetween, a gate movable into the casing toclose said porthole thereto, a normally'collapsed inflatable buoyant element within the case ing, means forimoving said buoyant element from the casing through the porthole, means,

for conveying fluid to the element for inflating 1 the'samewhen moved through the porthole,

' and means for detachably connecting the in the moving means fiatable element. with therefor. a r V V 3. A salvage apparatus comprising a casing having a closed end andan opposite open end, -afixture for swingingly connectingthe '7 whereby the said casing may swingvto confronting relation to or away from the port ing with the flange when confronting the porthole and eflecting a sealed jointtherebetween, a gate movable into the casing to close said porthole thereto, a normally collapsed,

inflatable buoyant element. within thecasing, means for moving said buoyant element from for the second named means. V 4. A salvageapparatus comprising a casing having a closed end and an opposite open end,

a fixture for swingingly connecting the cas and hand operable powertransferring means ing to a vessel hullhaving a porthole whereby,

the said casing may swing'to confronting-recasing to a vessel hull having a portholev hole, an? annular flange projected inwardly 5 from the porthole, means for latching the caslation to or away from the porthole, an annular flange projected inwardly from the porthole, means for latching the casing with the flange when confronting the porthole and effecting a sealed joint therebetween, a gate movable into the casing to close said porthole thereto, a normally collapsed inflatable buoyant element within the casing, means for moving said buoyant element from the casing through the porthole, means for conveying fluid to the element for inflating the same when moved through the porthole, means for detachably connecting the inflatable element with the moving means therefor, hand operable power transferring means for the second named means, and hand operable means for I the third named means.

5. A salvage apparatus comprising a casing having a closed end and an opposite open end, a fixture for swingingly connecting the casing to a vessel hull having a porthole whereby the said casing may swing to confronting relation to or away from the porthole, an annular flange projected inwardly from the porthole, means for latching the easing with the flange when confronting the porthole and effecting a sealed joint therebetween, a gate movable into the casing to close said porthole thereto, a normally collapsed inflatable buoyant element within the casing, means for moving said buoyant element from the casing through the porthole, means for conveying fluid to the element for inflating the same when moved through the porthole, 35 means for detachably connecting the inflatable element with the moving means therefor,

hand operable power transferring means for the second named means, hand operable means for the third named means, and a fluid supply means arranged within the hull and adapted to deliver fluid to the element for the inflation thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

45 JOHN PALMIERI. 

